Thursday, September 29, 2011

Funny Memoirs

Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch
In the summer of 1974, a fourteen-year-old girl in Dolton, Illinois, had a dream. A dream to become an actress, like her idols Ron Howard and Vicki Lawrence. But it was along way from the South Side of Chicago to Hollywood, and it didn't help that she'd recently dropped out of the school play, The Ugly Duckling. Or that Hollywood casting directors she wrote to replied that "professional training was a requirement." But the funny thing is, it all came true. Through a series of Happy Accidents, Jane Lynch created an improbably--and hilarious--path to success.

My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up by Russell Brand
Russell Brand learned early on to make a joke of fear and failure. From a troubled childhood in industrial Essex, England, to his descent into addictions to alcohol, drugs, and sex in the seamy underbelly of London, Brand has seen his share of both and miraculously lived to tell the tale. He leads readers on a rollicking journey through his disastrous school career, his infamous antics on MTV, and his multifarious sexual adventures. But this irreverent memoir is a story not simply of struggle but also of redemption, a testament to the difficulty of discovering what you want from life and the remarkable power of a bloody-minded determination to get it.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Seances, Investigations, and Polar Explorations

How to Survive a Killer Seance by Penny Warner
Presley Parker's newest gig is a seance party at San Jose's famous Winchester Mystery House. Her client Jonathan Ellington plans to use the event to unveil his new holographic technology, which will appear to bring former owner Sarah Winchester back from the dead. But the stunt backfires when a disembodied voice accuses Ellington of infidelity in front of his wife and business associates, and the techie monitoring the holograph is found murdered. Suspicion falls on Ellington, but as Presley tries to get at the truth, she doesn't need a Ouija board to tell her someone wants to scare her to death!

Dark Side by Belinda Bauer
In bleak midwinter, the people of Shipcott are shocked by the murder of an elderly woman in her bed. As snow cuts off the village, local policeman Jonas Holly is torn between catching a brutal killer and protecting his vulnerable wife, Lucy. When the inquiry is commandeered by an abrasive senior detective, Jonas finds himself derided by his colleagues and ashamed to admit to Lucy that he's been sidelined. It seems his first murder investigation ma be over before it's begun. But when he receives a series of increasingly sinister anonymous notes, Jonas is thrust back into the center of the case. Someone in the village is taunting him, blaming him for the tragedy. Someone thinks he's not doing his job; someone seems to know every move he makes. And soon Jonas has to ask: Who's hunting who?

South With the Sun: Roald Amundsen, His Polar Explorations, & the Quest for Discovery by Lynne Cox
Roald Amundsen, "the last of the Vikings," left his mark on the Heroic Era as one of the most successful polar explorers ever. A powerfully built man more than six feet tall, Amundsen began his career of adventure at the age of fifteen (he was born in Norway in 1872 to a family of merchant sea captains and rich ship owners); twenty-five years later he was the first man to reach both the North and South Poles.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Jungles and Running

The Jungle by Clive Cussler
A Novel of the Oregon Files. Jungles come in many forms. There are the rainforests of the Burmese highlands. There are the lies and betrayals of the world of covert operations. And there are the dark and twisted thoughts of a man bent on near-global domination. To pull off their latest mission, Juan Cabrillo and all the crew of the Oregon must survive them all. A devastating new weapon unleashed in thirteenth-century China...a daring rescue along the Afghanistan/Pakistan border...a woman gone missing in the jungles of northern Thailand and Myanmar... all of these events will lead to the greatest threat against U.S. security ever known.

Running Blind by Lee Child
A Jack Reacher Novel. Across the country, women are being murdered, victims of a disciplined and clever killer who leaves no trace evidence, no fatal wounds, no signs of struggle, and no clues to a motive. They are, truly, perfect crimes. In fact, there's only one things that links the victims. Each of the women knew Jack Reacher--and it's got him running blind.


Thursday, September 1, 2011

Punky Brewster, Nancy Drew, and Disney World

Happy Chaos: From Punky to Parenting and My Perfectly Imperfect Adventures In Between by Soleil Moon Frye
We all remember Soleil Moon Frye as the spunky main character on the 1980s hit series Punky Brewster, but today, she is a social media maven and momtrepreneur with two little girls who often finds living in the chaotic world of raising children. But Soleil believes that chaos is not a bad thing...in fact, this is the sign of a family operating at its best, because when you can accept that as a parent you'll make mistakes and there will be messes and mishaps, tears and tantrums, you and your kids will be happy.

The Official Nancy Drew Handbook: Skills, Tips & Life Lessons From Everyone's Favorite Girl Detective by Penny Warner
Perfectly coiffed, with Titian hair to die for, an ever-adoring fiance, and the best sidekicks a girl could want, Nancy Drew is still finding clues, escaping from villians, solving mysteries, and saving the day--all without mussing those gorgeous tresses. And now, so can you: The Official Nancy Drew Handbook will teach you how to live the Nancy life, with tips on fashion and beauty, romance and relationships, survival, sleuthing, and success.

Walt Disney World with Kids 2012 by Kim Wright Wiley
Inside this new edition is all the information you need to have the family vacation of a lifetime at the Orlando theme parks. Up-to-date and written with the help of more than 500 families, this guide is packed with details on all the attractions at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld. It's user-friendly, fun, and designed for at-a-glance reference. And it will help you and your family plan the vacation each of you wants.